I have to admit, that although the ground missions are clunky, the storylines are generally very good and fun.
Yes, the storyline missions are usually pretty darn good. Like seaofsorrows above, I also didn't put as much effort into ground at first and focused on space, but find it just as enjoyable now. It's part of being a well rounded Captain.
I haven't got that hand wave thing down pat yet like he and many of his fleet mates do I can honestly say though that if you're ever looking for a fleet that focuses on having fun as a team and learning creative and proven ways to make the bad guys blow up, he would be the fella to pm. When you combine that with the positive attitude of their members and the wide reach of their community I'd rate them as one of the best in-game.
Tried lunge yet?
Just a reminder that you don't need to put even 1 point into your PSG in your ground spec as odd as that may sound. Ditto for regen. Usually no more than a point each into endurance and armor either (some would use none). Leaves more points available for kit performance (2), weapons proficiency (2) and criticals (2), pen (1-2), and kit efficiency (1-2). KP is very important, the more the merrier... keep that in mind when choosing a kit frame later on.
And for the love of the game, do not take anything self proclaimed "pro playah wanna be's/ l33tists" looks at ruinthefun, with anything more than a grain of salt.
No one here has a right to tell anyone else how to play or tell them to gitgud etc etc until they can produce a paycheck as professional gamer, we all play for recreation.
No one here has a right to tell anyone else how to play or tell them to gitgud etc etc until they can produce a paycheck as professional gamer, we all play for recreation. Enjoy the game.
Not even then
If someone has min-maxed their way to near the top of the DPS Leagues that's nice, but that's not the STO that I'm playing. I'm playing to have fun, not to climb the leaderboard.
If you reach a point where you need more DPS to do something you want to do like trying Advanced or Elite queues, then it might make sense to listen to some DPS gurus. But you still might need to throw away the advice that's based on using pre-made groups where they work together to use a combined set of skills, traits and gear that you won't have outside of a group like that.
And for the love of the game, do not take anything self proclaimed "pro playah wanna be's/ l33tists" looks at ruinthefun, with anything more than a grain of salt.
No one here has a right to tell anyone else how to play or tell them to gitgud etc etc until they can produce a paycheck as professional gamer, we all play for recreation. Enjoy the game.
If someone has min-maxed their way to near the top of the DPS Leagues that's nice, but that's not the STO that I'm playing. I'm playing to have fun, not to climb the leaderboard.
If you reach a point where you need more DPS to do something you want to do like trying Advanced or Elite queues, then it might make sense to listen to some DPS gurus. But you still might need to throw away the advice that's based on using pre-made groups where they work together to use a combined set of skills, traits and gear that you won't have outside of a group like that.
I think you misunderstand the reason that chart was posted. It most likely wasn't appropriate in the Academy section of the forums (imho) but that particular poster usually has a good point to make and sometimes makes them in unique ways. He spends a considerable amount of time in-game helping players.
Another poster chimed in with some good simple advice that includes a new mission reward... "this works good try it". He was #1 on the charts for quite some time. What does that #1 player do? He also spends a considerable amount of time in-game helping others.
Another poster chimed in after I paged him because he has an excellent general tactical template for a skill tree and I borrowed it. I'll bet he does twice my space damage. He spends considerable time right here trying his best to help people and is also a helpful and pleasant person in-game. In fact he's part of a group of people that spend a considerable amount of time in-game and here trying to help players that are also a pleasant bunch that would never have anything but words of encouragement for any player.
I run advanced space and elite ground without too much effort and could most likely squeak by in elite space with the right group as a 50-60K dps player and have been playing the game since 2011 on a regular basis. I've also spent a considerable amount of time in-game and right here helping new players and could possible be ranked close to #1 based upon the 100's of millions of fleet credits earned and re-invested in the several fleets I've built.
The advice given right here in this thread and in this section is provided to anybody that needs help so that their experience playing STO is as pleasant as possible. There aren't any evil intentions behind it. There are no strings attached. We just want folks to enjoy the game at whatever level they're at and have fun while doing so.
At least the OP's here in the various help threads had the initiative and smarts to try and improve their game by asking good questions instead of complaining. There is nothing elitist about the advice nor is the advice given only applicable to group play. Perhaps you could scroll up to my last build suggestion that includes the use of mission rewards, uncommon green gear, and leaves the decision with respect to skill tree points to go either with a general balanced build or tactical ultimate up to the OP?
One thing is for sure when it comes to the Academy section of the forums: leave the 'politics' and non-help related discussion at the door. If you disagree with or have an alternate view on the advice given I encourage you to post what works best for you. That's what the Academy section is all about - helping other players.
And for the love of the game, do not take anything self proclaimed "pro playah wanna be's/ l33tists" looks at ruinthefun, with anything more than a grain of salt.
No one here has a right to tell anyone else how to play or tell them to gitgud etc etc until they can produce a paycheck as professional gamer, we all play for recreation. Enjoy the game.
If someone has min-maxed their way to near the top of the DPS Leagues that's nice, but that's not the STO that I'm playing. I'm playing to have fun, not to climb the leaderboard.
If you reach a point where you need more DPS to do something you want to do like trying Advanced or Elite queues, then it might make sense to listen to some DPS gurus. But you still might need to throw away the advice that's based on using pre-made groups where they work together to use a combined set of skills, traits and gear that you won't have outside of a group like that.
I think you misunderstand the reason that chart was posted. It most likely wasn't appropriate in the Academy section of the forums (imho) but that particular poster usually has a good point to make and sometimes makes them in unique ways. He spends a considerable amount of time in-game helping players.
Another poster chimed in with some good simple advice that includes a new mission reward... "this works good try it". He was #1 on the charts for quite some time. What does that #1 player do? He also spends a considerable amount of time in-game helping others.
Another poster chimed in after I paged him because he has an excellent general tactical template for a skill tree and I borrowed it. I'll bet he does twice my space damage. He spends considerable time right here trying his best to help people and is also a helpful and pleasant person in-game. In fact he's part of a group of people that spend a considerable amount of time in-game and here trying to help players that are also a pleasant bunch that would never have anything but words of encouragement for any player.
I run advanced space and elite ground without too much effort and could most likely squeak by in elite space with the right group as a 50-60K dps player and have been playing the game since 2011 on a regular basis. I've also spent a considerable amount of time in-game and right here helping new players and could possible be ranked close to #1 based upon the 100's of millions of fleet credits earned and re-invested in the several fleets I've built.
The advice given right here in this thread and in this section is provided to anybody that needs help so that their experience playing STO is as pleasant as possible. There aren't any evil intentions behind it. There are no strings attached. We just want folks to enjoy the game at whatever level they're at and have fun while doing so.
At least the OP's here in the various help threads had the initiative and smarts to try and improve their game by asking good questions instead of complaining. There is nothing elitist about the advice nor is the advice given only applicable to group play. Perhaps you could scroll up to my last build suggestion that includes the use of mission rewards, uncommon green gear, and leaves the decision with respect to skill tree points to go either with a general balanced build or tactical ultimate up to the OP?
One thing is for sure when it comes to the Academy section of the forums: leave the 'politics' and non-help related discussion at the door. If you disagree with or have an alternate view on the advice given I encourage you to post what works best for you. That's what the Academy section is all about - helping other players.
My point exactly! The people here are helping him greatly. My point was to tell the OP to ignore the tryhards that will knock him and say all the things we know those types will say, that is all. I have all kinds of stuff too, considerable game time, millions of fleet credits blah etc. The difference is we don't look down on new players as so many do.
I think you misunderstand the reason that chart was posted. It most likely wasn't appropriate in the Academy section of the forums (imho) but that particular poster usually has a good point to make and sometimes makes them in unique ways. He spends a considerable amount of time in-game helping players.
He often starts with a reasonable point and jumps off the deep end rambling about stuff that doesn't really matter. You don't NEED Mk15 gear to play missions with level 65 enemies, it makes it easier, but it's not needed.
Anyways, the Mk/DPS chart is somewhat useful since it also helps understand the way enemies scale. Level 65 enemies are way tougher than level 50.
Sweet!, so what have you been doing for ground builds? I honestly find that more fun than space.
Ground combat hasn't been a problem so far. Skills set for crits & healing.
I just go in pew pew and all done, boring really and space is where it is at.
Always thought that Cryptic should have left out the ground missions as it is pretty naf, especially when you compare how clunky it is compared to almost every other MMO, even from 2013.
I dunno, I have no idea why people call it clunky. I used to play D2X and I'd rather use STO's ground combat.
What control scheme are you using? I move with WASD and activate skills via numeric keypad. No, I don't waste time with shooter mode.
My point exactly! The people here are helping him greatly. My point was to tell the OP to ignore the tryhards that will knock him and say all the things we know those types will say, that is all. I have all kinds of stuff too, considerable game time, millions of fleet credits blah etc. The difference is we don't look down on new players as so many do.
Everyone has tried to help, not sure why you're taking personal offense. No one in this thread has 'looked down' on anyone nor has anyone outside of you made anything personal.
Everyone has a right to their opinion, lets just stick to trying to help the OP and keep it civil.. cool?
Saying that a more seasoned player who came here to advice a new player in need of advice... Looking down on the guy... Is utterly stupid. This inferiority complex is a cancer to personal development. Get rid of it and grow.
To conclude, OP, enjoy the experience. Eat STO with a teaspoon, but consistently. Even as a budget/free to play, you can become an above-average performer and the variety and customization will keep you busy and enjoying this.
And as I said, we're here to help. Trolls usually lay this immense chasm between new users and veterans which is not that immense. You're here to enjoy an experience. So have fun, make new friends, join a fleet, discover the world of STO.
Saying that a more seasoned player who came here to advice a new player in need of advice... Looking down on the guy... Is utterly stupid. This inferiority complex is a cancer to personal development. Get rid of it and grow.
To conclude, OP, enjoy the experience. Eat STO with a teaspoon, but consistently. Even as a budget/free to play, you can become an above-average performer and the variety and customization will keep you busy and enjoying this.
And as I said, we're here to help. Trolls usually lay this immense chasm between new users and veterans which is not that immense. You're here to enjoy an experience. So have fun, make new friends, join a fleet, discover the world of STO.
Thanks to everyone for your advice here and I do appreciate it.
I also don't feel that anyone has talked down to me. If anyone thinks that you should look at other MMO forums! WoW I'm looking at you.
For me I am taking great pleasure in learning the game and a good community here is a bonus.
Having played quite few MMOs for a long time, I tend to get fed up and quit once I feel I am on a treadmill or that there is 'perceived pressure' to rush to end game to experience the best content. Min/maxing also doesn't interest me too much, unless I don't survive long enough to get anything done.
My take has been to just do what I enjoy, so I took my tac officer up to a heavy escort, with cannons & mines, then switched to the Galaxy class cruiser & beam weapons as soon as I unlocked it. This way I could use the enterprise variant for a bit and who doesn't enjoy that?
Sadly I out-leveled this cruiser far too quickly and am onto my next ship - leveling seems fast with various bonuses and content sucking me in so much that I don't even notice I have popped a few levels until a ship unlocks.
Question though: is there any way to use the lower tier ships (I loved the galaxy) at higher levels to do content? I'm not talking about anything competitive, just pve missions?
Specifically, if you want an end game Galaxy Class, you can get the Tier 6 Exploration Cruiser from the C-Store for 3000 Zen ($30 USD.)
This ship can use the Galaxy Class skin, so you can make it look just like the Galaxy you have been using, but it will be a tier 6 version. Once purchased, it can be used by all Federation characters on your account.
Hopefully, by the time you get to where you're ready to acquire an End Game T6 ship, you have decided your exact play style. While the Galaxy isn't bad.. it's a bit limited in what it can do and is only usable as a beam build (it can do Mines and Torps too, but it cannot mount cannons.) The T6 Defiant is more suitable for Cannons, so you kind of have to make a decision what you want.
If you're not stuck on a ship style that has specifically appeared on TV and you're looking for a good end game ship that can handle Beams or Cannons, then I always recommend the Arbiter Battlecruiser as the first ship to buy. It's versatile enough to do many different builds and it comes with the best star ship trait in the game for Energy Weapon builds. It also has a pretty useful console.
If you're not at that point yet, that's cool.. these are just options to look at.
Specifically, if you want an end game Galaxy Class, you can get the Tier 6 Exploration Cruiser from the C-Store for 3000 Zen ($30 USD.)
This ship can use the Galaxy Class skin, so you can make it look just like the Galaxy you have been using, but it will be a tier 6 version. Once purchased, it can be used by all Federation characters on your account.
Hopefully, by the time you get to where you're ready to acquire an End Game T6 ship, you have decided your exact play style. While the Galaxy isn't bad.. it's a bit limited in what it can do and is only usable as a beam build (it can do Mines and Torps too, but it cannot mount cannons.) The T6 Defiant is more suitable for Cannons, so you kind of have to make a decision what you want.
If you're not stuck on a ship style that has specifically appeared on TV and you're looking for a good end game ship that can handle Beams or Cannons, then I always recommend the Arbiter Battlecruiser as the first ship to buy. It's versatile enough to do many different builds and it comes with the best star ship trait in the game for Energy Weapon builds. It also has a pretty useful console.
If you're not at that point yet, that's cool.. these are just options to look at.
> @markhawkman said:
> So what control setup are you using on ground? Also, are you on console or PC?
PC and WASD & mouse.
Have you tried using numeric keypad to activate skills? I find it's a lot better than trying to click the skill buttons with a mouse. I usually use mouse for the rare times I manually target things.
in my humble opinion, you are attempting to play intermediate to hard. Escorts are not for newbies, again in my opinion.
my advice, look through builds see one you like and specialise. not only the ship but your traits and boff abilities. be logical. if you have a cannon b uild, you don't want to slot TS3 if you don't have a torpedo. if you have one build, rethink that BFAW.
upgrade with a purpose. choose your energy types and upgrade your weapon consoles first, be they energy consoles or fleet consoles. upgrade your shield fast, all the DPS in the world won't save you if your shields go down in the first pass. research the specilizations, get to the second tier in the first 2 as soon as you can. I tend to run Pilot and strategist. others will tell you thier favorites. finally, get purple MK ii weapons and upgrade those. and get more than you need. if the weapon doesnt go UR on the first upgrade, move to the next one.
Just hit lvl50. Noticed no freebie ship upgrade. Dos this mean to get a t5 ship I need to buy zen? Only got around 38k dilithium so that isnt an option either.
Is this how game is suppsed to work?
As an aside, I should get the t6 vulcan scout as almost finished the Q missions......by skin of my teeth if 22nd is final day.
Just hit lvl50. Noticed no freebie ship upgrade. Dos this mean to get a t5 ship I need to buy zen?
Only got around 38k dilithium so that isnt an option either.
Is this how game is suppsed to work?
As an aside, I should get the t6 vulcan scout as almost finished the Q missions......by skin of my teeth if 22nd is final day.
You get a 'Vice Admiral starship requisition token' at lvl 61. Didn't see anything that appeals to me personally there but your tastes may vary. This doesn't include any ship with the zen symbol on it.
Then there's the 3 free event ships per year. I hope you sneak yours in.
Many Tier 5 (RA-LH) ships are available for 68K dilithium and would do well while saving up for something else.
Another option is a Tier 5 Mirror ship from the exchange. They are single character unlocks and non-upgradable to T5-U (an extra console slot) and aren't account wide unlocks if you plan on playing more than one character. Some I looked up on the wiki looked quite decent.
Other ships are available for fleet marks only so you'd have to be in a fleet that meets the prerequisite level needed to give access to the ship. They're also single character unlocks as are fleet versions of ships (gives you yet another extra console slot whether T5 or T6).
A Tier 6 fleet ship doesn't come with the C-Store's (zen) non-fleet ship's respective mastery trait. Fleet ships whether T5 or 6 only require 1 fleet ship module if you've purchased the respective non-fleet version, 4 and 5 FSM's respectively without. FSM's are available via the exchange, C-Store, and by reaching Tier 6 in a reputation.
I could have missed some options but yes, this is how the game is supposed to work. Free to play and a whole bunch of fun but funded to a degree via ship sales and other cash shop items that you have the option of saving up for in-game at the rate of 8000 dil per day to plus any EC you can save up. I've found this to be a reasonable deal over the years - reaching level 50 is the gateway to many more game play options.
If you're a Cruiser person I wouldn't get one that doesn't at least have a LtC tactical boff slot plus a universal slot if you're going to go the zen route.
Depending upon your interests and budget you may want to consider a Tier 6 C-store (zen) ship that comes with a mastery trait. The ship can be geared up nicely via mission replay. There's a whole lot of good gaming and things to do in STO and a single well chosen ship purchase offset by in-game savings can take you all the way... for about the cost of some other games.
Really hope I framed this right. Will hear about it if I didn't
While the arbiter holds a super great trait with “Emergency Weapons Cycle” one wants to have on all builds with energy weapons the leveling aspect seems to be exclusively for new ship releases.
I think if you look for something in that area the new Miracle Worker Battle Cruiser is an absurdly strong ship that lets us explore all kind of build options aside from exotics.
Looking for a fun PvE fleet? Join us at Omega Combat Division today.
I will research the ships a bit more before buying zen which I dont mind as had great fun getting to 50 slowly for free at my own pace.
I like the idea of eventually getting the t6 arbiter that Sea of sorrows mentioned, the flexibility sounds good.
Any t5 ships that level with you btw?
Thanks. That's about the best I could do. There's a lot of options.
I'm glad you had fun getting to 50 for free at you own pace, that's what it's all about. There is more to be had. The fact that you're asking questions and doing research before making decisions is good great.
I didn't specifically mention the Arbiter as I was trying to be 'advice neutral' to list all options and include all types of players but hinted at it via the boff layout. BFAW3 is just so much better than its lower levels, universal slots are just so handy, and as Peter and Sea said the mastery trait is great as well.
Seems like the poster above me is trying to give out a hint. He's been know to give out some very good one's both here and in-game.
A focus of on having fun being the #1 priority while learning to do well is a noble one.
Is the only way to progress now to buy with zen a T5 ship?
T6 will be fine, great advice here, especially ships that can be fitted to use beams or cannons etc , but got to get there first.
edit: meant to include apart from joining a fleet and having enough fleet marks or using the exchange
You can continue to progress with your current Tier 4 ship, or consider purchasing a non-zen Tier 5 ship ship for a small amount of dilithium (68K). Each level of ship is an incremental increase in boff abilities, number of console slots, as well as other stats from inertia rating, turn rate, amount of hull, etc. that provides additional advantages.
You could easily keep doing missions while starting on reputations via normal difficulty queues, the current new event, as well as endeavors which can reward a wide variety of things. Reputation progress is going to give you more ground and space traits which help, and upon reaching L51 or so you'll start receiving specialization points which help as well.
You'll probably find the enemies you encounter start to hit harder around level 60 so mission progress and rewards will come in handy to equip both your ship and your character.
If you do end up buying a ship down the line, I would absolutely avoid buying a T5. If you're going to spend money, then go for a T6 ship that you like, preferably one that has a star ship trait that's beneficial to you.
Comments
I haven't got that hand wave thing down pat yet like he and many of his fleet mates do
Tried lunge yet?
Just a reminder that you don't need to put even 1 point into your PSG in your ground spec as odd as that may sound. Ditto for regen. Usually no more than a point each into endurance and armor either (some would use none). Leaves more points available for kit performance (2), weapons proficiency (2) and criticals (2), pen (1-2), and kit efficiency (1-2). KP is very important, the more the merrier... keep that in mind when choosing a kit frame later on.
No one here has a right to tell anyone else how to play or tell them to gitgud etc etc until they can produce a paycheck as professional gamer, we all play for recreation.
Enjoy the game.
If someone has min-maxed their way to near the top of the DPS Leagues that's nice, but that's not the STO that I'm playing. I'm playing to have fun, not to climb the leaderboard.
If you reach a point where you need more DPS to do something you want to do like trying Advanced or Elite queues, then it might make sense to listen to some DPS gurus. But you still might need to throw away the advice that's based on using pre-made groups where they work together to use a combined set of skills, traits and gear that you won't have outside of a group like that.
Another poster chimed in with some good simple advice that includes a new mission reward... "this works good try it". He was #1 on the charts for quite some time. What does that #1 player do? He also spends a considerable amount of time in-game helping others.
Another poster chimed in after I paged him because he has an excellent general tactical template for a skill tree and I borrowed it. I'll bet he does twice my space damage. He spends considerable time right here trying his best to help people and is also a helpful and pleasant person in-game. In fact he's part of a group of people that spend a considerable amount of time in-game and here trying to help players that are also a pleasant bunch that would never have anything but words of encouragement for any player.
I run advanced space and elite ground without too much effort and could most likely squeak by in elite space with the right group as a 50-60K dps player and have been playing the game since 2011 on a regular basis. I've also spent a considerable amount of time in-game and right here helping new players and could possible be ranked close to #1 based upon the 100's of millions of fleet credits earned and re-invested in the several fleets I've built.
The advice given right here in this thread and in this section is provided to anybody that needs help so that their experience playing STO is as pleasant as possible. There aren't any evil intentions behind it. There are no strings attached. We just want folks to enjoy the game at whatever level they're at and have fun while doing so.
At least the OP's here in the various help threads had the initiative and smarts to try and improve their game by asking good questions instead of complaining. There is nothing elitist about the advice nor is the advice given only applicable to group play. Perhaps you could scroll up to my last build suggestion that includes the use of mission rewards, uncommon green gear, and leaves the decision with respect to skill tree points to go either with a general balanced build or tactical ultimate up to the OP?
One thing is for sure when it comes to the Academy section of the forums: leave the 'politics' and non-help related discussion at the door. If you disagree with or have an alternate view on the advice given I encourage you to post what works best for you. That's what the Academy section is all about - helping other players.
My point exactly! The people here are helping him greatly. My point was to tell the OP to ignore the tryhards that will knock him and say all the things we know those types will say, that is all. I have all kinds of stuff too, considerable game time, millions of fleet credits blah etc. The difference is we don't look down on new players as so many do.
Anyways, the Mk/DPS chart is somewhat useful since it also helps understand the way enemies scale. Level 65 enemies are way tougher than level 50. I dunno, I have no idea why people call it clunky. I used to play D2X and I'd rather use STO's ground combat.
What control scheme are you using? I move with WASD and activate skills via numeric keypad. No, I don't waste time with shooter mode.
My character Tsin'xing
Everyone has tried to help, not sure why you're taking personal offense. No one in this thread has 'looked down' on anyone nor has anyone outside of you made anything personal.
Everyone has a right to their opinion, lets just stick to trying to help the OP and keep it civil.. cool?
To conclude, OP, enjoy the experience. Eat STO with a teaspoon, but consistently. Even as a budget/free to play, you can become an above-average performer and the variety and customization will keep you busy and enjoying this.
And as I said, we're here to help. Trolls usually lay this immense chasm between new users and veterans which is not that immense. You're here to enjoy an experience. So have fun, make new friends, join a fleet, discover the world of STO.
Sound advice indeed.
Thanks to everyone for your advice here and I do appreciate it.
I also don't feel that anyone has talked down to me. If anyone thinks that you should look at other MMO forums! WoW I'm looking at you.
For me I am taking great pleasure in learning the game and a good community here is a bonus.
Having played quite few MMOs for a long time, I tend to get fed up and quit once I feel I am on a treadmill or that there is 'perceived pressure' to rush to end game to experience the best content. Min/maxing also doesn't interest me too much, unless I don't survive long enough to get anything done.
My take has been to just do what I enjoy, so I took my tac officer up to a heavy escort, with cannons & mines, then switched to the Galaxy class cruiser & beam weapons as soon as I unlocked it. This way I could use the enterprise variant for a bit and who doesn't enjoy that?
Sadly I out-leveled this cruiser far too quickly and am onto my next ship - leveling seems fast with various bonuses and content sucking me in so much that I don't even notice I have popped a few levels until a ship unlocks.
Question though: is there any way to use the lower tier ships (I loved the galaxy) at higher levels to do content? I'm not talking about anything competitive, just pve missions?
Thanks again
The defiant, the galaxy or most of them got t6 variants that can be customized to look like the canon ones.
For example you could run the T6 fleet version of the Exploration Cruiser and make it look like the Galaxy Class that Picard used in the TNG series.
So there's plenty of skins to mix performance with trekstethics. You'll see.
This ship can use the Galaxy Class skin, so you can make it look just like the Galaxy you have been using, but it will be a tier 6 version. Once purchased, it can be used by all Federation characters on your account.
The Defiant's Tier 6 Variant is the Valiant Tactical Escort.
Hopefully, by the time you get to where you're ready to acquire an End Game T6 ship, you have decided your exact play style. While the Galaxy isn't bad.. it's a bit limited in what it can do and is only usable as a beam build (it can do Mines and Torps too, but it cannot mount cannons.) The T6 Defiant is more suitable for Cannons, so you kind of have to make a decision what you want.
If you're not stuck on a ship style that has specifically appeared on TV and you're looking for a good end game ship that can handle Beams or Cannons, then I always recommend the Arbiter Battlecruiser as the first ship to buy. It's versatile enough to do many different builds and it comes with the best star ship trait in the game for Energy Weapon builds. It also has a pretty useful console.
If you're not at that point yet, that's cool.. these are just options to look at.
Yes. Arbiter for FED, Kurak for KDF.
I will have a look at the arbiter mentioned too.
My character Tsin'xing
> So what control setup are you using on ground? Also, are you on console or PC?
PC and WASD & mouse.
My character Tsin'xing
my advice, look through builds see one you like and specialise. not only the ship but your traits and boff abilities. be logical. if you have a cannon b uild, you don't want to slot TS3 if you don't have a torpedo. if you have one build, rethink that BFAW.
upgrade with a purpose. choose your energy types and upgrade your weapon consoles first, be they energy consoles or fleet consoles. upgrade your shield fast, all the DPS in the world won't save you if your shields go down in the first pass. research the specilizations, get to the second tier in the first 2 as soon as you can. I tend to run Pilot and strategist. others will tell you thier favorites. finally, get purple MK ii weapons and upgrade those. and get more than you need. if the weapon doesnt go UR on the first upgrade, move to the next one.
Only got around 38k dilithium so that isnt an option either.
Is this how game is suppsed to work?
As an aside, I should get the t6 vulcan scout as almost finished the Q missions......by skin of my teeth if 22nd is final day.
Then there's the 3 free event ships per year. I hope you sneak yours in.
Many Tier 5 (RA-LH) ships are available for 68K dilithium and would do well while saving up for something else.
Another option is a Tier 5 Mirror ship from the exchange. They are single character unlocks and non-upgradable to T5-U (an extra console slot) and aren't account wide unlocks if you plan on playing more than one character. Some I looked up on the wiki looked quite decent.
Other ships are available for fleet marks only so you'd have to be in a fleet that meets the prerequisite level needed to give access to the ship. They're also single character unlocks as are fleet versions of ships (gives you yet another extra console slot whether T5 or T6).
A Tier 6 fleet ship doesn't come with the C-Store's (zen) non-fleet ship's respective mastery trait. Fleet ships whether T5 or 6 only require 1 fleet ship module if you've purchased the respective non-fleet version, 4 and 5 FSM's respectively without. FSM's are available via the exchange, C-Store, and by reaching Tier 6 in a reputation.
I could have missed some options but yes, this is how the game is supposed to work. Free to play and a whole bunch of fun but funded to a degree via ship sales and other cash shop items that you have the option of saving up for in-game at the rate of 8000 dil per day to plus any EC you can save up. I've found this to be a reasonable deal over the years - reaching level 50 is the gateway to many more game play options.
If you're a Cruiser person I wouldn't get one that doesn't at least have a LtC tactical boff slot plus a universal slot if you're going to go the zen route.
Depending upon your interests and budget you may want to consider a Tier 6 C-store (zen) ship that comes with a mastery trait. The ship can be geared up nicely via mission replay. There's a whole lot of good gaming and things to do in STO and a single well chosen ship purchase offset by in-game savings can take you all the way... for about the cost of some other games.
Really hope I framed this right. Will hear about it if I didn't
Thanks for the detailed reply, this helps a lot.
I will research the ships a bit more before buying zen which I dont mind as had great fun getting to 50 slowly for free at my own pace.
I like the idea of eventually getting the t6 arbiter that Sea of sorrows mentioned, the flexibility sounds good.
Any t5 ships that level with you btw?
I think if you look for something in that area the new Miracle Worker Battle Cruiser is an absurdly strong ship that lets us explore all kind of build options aside from exotics.
Looking for a fun PvE fleet? Join us at Omega Combat Division today.
I'm glad you had fun getting to 50 for free at you own pace, that's what it's all about. There is more to be had. The fact that you're asking questions and doing research before making decisions is good great.
I didn't specifically mention the Arbiter as I was trying to be 'advice neutral' to list all options and include all types of players but hinted at it via the boff layout. BFAW3 is just so much better than its lower levels, universal slots are just so handy, and as Peter and Sea said the mastery trait is great as well.
Seems like the poster above me is trying to give out a hint. He's been know to give out some very good one's both here and in-game.
A focus of on having fun being the #1 priority while learning to do well is a noble one.
Is the only way to progress now to buy with zen a T5 ship?
T6 will be fine, great advice here, especially ships that can be fitted to use beams or cannons etc , but got to get there first.
edit: meant to include apart from joining a fleet and having enough fleet marks or using the exchange
You could easily keep doing missions while starting on reputations via normal difficulty queues, the current new event, as well as endeavors which can reward a wide variety of things. Reputation progress is going to give you more ground and space traits which help, and upon reaching L51 or so you'll start receiving specialization points which help as well.
You'll probably find the enemies you encounter start to hit harder around level 60 so mission progress and rewards will come in handy to equip both your ship and your character.
Frankly, T5 Zen ships are over priced dead ends.
Ships are pricey!